Songzanlin Lamasery
Songzanlin Lamasery is five kilometers away from Shangri-La County, a 4A National Tourist Attraction. Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan, built during the Qing Dynasty and established by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1679and also one of the 13 famous Lamaist monasteries in Tibetan regions. This lamasery was constructed in 1681 by the Dalai Lama. It has a history of over 320 years. It covers an area of 333,333 square meters. The lamasery is built on the slope. It extends from the foot to the top of a mountain, with an imposing and elegant shape. It takes the pattern of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and hence has another name “Small Potala Palace”. This lamasery has 2 main halls at the central top and 8 wing halls around them. The main hall can hold 1,600 monks sitting and chanting scriptures. The wing halls are all for monks to sit and chant scriptures by themselves or with guidance. Around the lamasery is an oval peripheral wall.
The Gadan Sonzanlin Lamasery has a good collection of treasures and historical relics. These include the bronze statues of Dalai Lama V，Dalai Lama VII and Maitreya as well as Buddhist scriptures on pattra leaves and so on.
Historically there have been many accomplished monks from this temple well known in the Tibetan area. The temple was built along the mountain, facing the south, being the five-floor Tibetan style military watchtower. The whole layout imitates the Tibet Potala palace , covering the land of about 500mu. The two major temples of Zhaji and Jikang were built at the highest point, in the center of the whole temple , and hundreds of monk houses and living Buddha clean rooms are arranged around, quite splendid. The temple has located many treasured cultural relics.
